Dual-barrel powder dispenser

ABSTRACT

A powder dispensing device is provided including a housing; a hopper sized and shaped to engage the housing to form a reservoir; a first barrel in fluid communication with the reservoir via one or more first apertures and having a first internal diameter; a second barrel in fluid communication with the reservoir via one or more second apertures and having a second internal diameter, wherein the first internal diameter is greater than the second internal diameter; at least one motor coupled to the first barrel and the second barrel, the at least one motor configured to rotate the first barrel and the second barrel; a scale electrically coupled to a scale plate, the scale plate disposed on the housing and below the first barrel and the second barrel; and a user interface in electrical communication with the at least one motor and the scale, the user interface configured to receive a user-input.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present disclosure is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 17/564,161, filed Dec. 28, 2021; which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 17/195,976, filed Mar. 9, 2021, now U.S.Pat. No. 11,236,981, issued Feb. 1, 2022; which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/505,217, filed Jul. 8, 2019, nowU.S. Pat. No. 10,982,938, issued Apr. 20, 2021, which claims priority toU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/695,709, filed on Jul. 9,2018, the contents of which all are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a powder dispenser for ammunitionloading, and more particularly to a device for a dual-barrel dispensingsystem with increased accuracy and speed.

BACKGROUND

Experienced hunters may calibrate their firearm or sighting device for aparticular trajectory pattern specific to a given weight. Mass-producedand packaged ammunition, however, can have inconsistent and varyingweights for each bullet, even within the same production run andpackage. As a result, the varying weights typical to commerciallyproduced ammunition can result in inconsistent and inaccurate shooting.These variances may be small and therefore undetectable even by anenthusiast in the field without additional equipment and analysis.Powder dispensers allow outdoor enthusiasts, such as hunters andmarksmen, to weigh, fill and case their own ammunition. Each individualcasing is typically weighed and measured to load the ammunition with adesired weight.

Highly accurate scales may be used to measure an exact powder weight fora casing. The fine granularity of the powder, however, still makesmeasuring and dispensing the exact weight within a tolerable rangedifficult. Traditional powder dispensers may use scales, volumes, andother measuring devices to dispense powder quickly, at the cost ofaccuracy. Other devices may be tuned to slowly dispense a powder for amore accurate volume, however, at the cost of expediency. Previoussolutions requires the use of separate and independent devices, whichrequired an enthusiast user to operate the two dispensers independentlyin series to load a single cartridge. Such ad-hoc systems, however, aretime consuming, costly, and cumbersome.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect, and described herein, a dual-barrel powderdispenser offers a highly-accurate, and highly efficient system andmethod for dispensing a consistent amount of powder. A controller incommunication with the interface may determine the speeds at which eachbarrel rotates in order to dispense a volume and weight of powder from ahopper to a receptacle. A scale may monitor and determine the totalweight of powder dispensed into the receptacle resting on the scale. Theentire assembly may be self-contained in a single integrated body.

According to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a powderdispensing device including a housing and a hopper sized and shaped toengage the housing to form a reservoir. A first barrel and a secondbarrel may be in fluid communication with the reservoir. At least onemotor may be coupled to the first barrel and the second barrel. The atleast one motor may be configured to rotate the first barrel and thesecond barrel. A scale may be electrically coupled to a scale plate. Thescale plate may be disposed on the housing and below the first barreland second barrel. A user interface may be in electrical communicationwith the at least one motor and the scale. The user interface may beconfigured to receive a user-input.

According to another aspect, a powder dispenser may include a housingand a hopper sized and shaped to engage the housing to form a reservoir.A first barrel and a second barrel may be in fluid communication withthe reservoir. At least one motor may be coupled to the first barrel andthe second barrel. The at least one motor may be configured to rotatethe first barrel and the second barrel. A scale electrically may becoupled to a scale plate. The scale plate may be disposed on the housingand below the first barrel and second barrel. A user interface may be inelectrical communication with the at least one motor and the scale. Theuser interface may be configured to receive a user-input. A processormay be configured to operate the at least one motor according to a firstthe user input and receive a measurement from the scale. The processormay drive the first barrel at a first rotational speed and drive thesecond barrel at a second speed according to the measurement from thescale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features, nature, and advantages of the present disclosure willbecome more apparent from the detailed description set forth below whentaken in conjunction with the drawings in which like referencecharacters identify correspondingly throughout.

FIG. 1 depicts a front view of a powder dispenser device according toone aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 depicts a front view of a powder dispenser device with the hopperremoved according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts a first side view of a powder dispenser device accordingto one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A depicts a drain assembly in a first position according to oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B depicts a drain assembly in a second position according to oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts a top view of a powder dispenser device according to oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 depicts an expanded top view of a powder dispenser deviceaccording to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts an expanded view of a scale portion of a powder dispenserdevice according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 depicts an expanded view of a user-interface of a powderdispenser device according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 depicts a perspective view of a powder tray according to oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 depicts a hardware architecture of a powder dispenser deviceaccording to an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a system and method foraccurately and efficiently dispensing powder for loading ammunition. Adual-barrel dispensing mechanism provides a user-friendly, convenientand efficient system and method for dispensing a highly-accurate anddependable amount of powder, or charge, to fill a projectile casing.Aspects of an exemplary device are depicted in FIGS. 1-8 and describedherein.

FIG. 1 depicts a front view of a powder dispenser device 100 accordingto one aspect of the present disclosure. The device 100 may include ahousing 102, a hopper 104 for powder storage, a cover 105, a userinterface 116, and a dual-barrel arrangement 113 for dispensing a weightof powder to a pan or dish (not shown) contemporaneously weighed on ahigh-accuracy scale plate 110. A digital user-interface 116 may be usedto program the device 100, initiate a dispensing operation, and displaythe current scale measurements and settings to the user.

The housing 102 may include a first portion 103 that includes the userinterface 116, and one or more leveling legs 128. The user interface 116may include a power button 118, a “Go” button 120 and a display 122. Thepower button 118 may activate the internal electronics and mechanicsdescribed herein via a power supply, internal or external. The “Go”button 120 may be configured to initiate a dispensing operationaccording to the parameters and settings input by a user or stored in amemory. The display 122 may include a keypad 124, one or more functionbuttons 126, as well as a visual output indicating the detailsassociated with a dispensing operation. The display 122 may be an LCD,LED, OLED, or the like. The keypad 124, the power button 118, the “Go”button 120, function buttons and others may include physical buttonselectrically coupled to the circuitry, or may include touch sensitiveindicators on the display 122. The visual output may include, withoutlimitation, current device settings, current weight measured on thescale plate 110, or other indicators in connection with the dispensingand weighing of powder. Leveling legs 128 may be coupled to the housingvia a threaded screwing arrangement, or the like, that allow theleveling legs 128 to move up and down independently to place the housingat a level resting angle should the surface on which the device 100 isresting not be level. The user interface 116 may also be coupled to thehousing in a pivoting arrangement such that the user-interface may berotated up or down to improve a user's viewing angle.

The function buttons 126 may be hard-coded to a single mode of operationto other function, or may be adaptable as touch-sensitive buttonsincluded in the display. According to an aspect of the presentdisclosure, the function buttons 126 may include a button for a zerofunction mode, in which the scale may be zeroed and a mode button forsetting a dispensing mode or other mode of operation as describedherein. The function buttons 126 may also include a powder functionbutton configured to select one of several different types of powder,i.e., flake, ball, extruded, medium extruded, large extruded, or thelike. A trickle function button may be configured to activate manuallythe rotation of the second barrel at a slow speed allowing a smallamount of powder to be dispensed.

The housing 102 may further include a second portion 108, the surface ofwhich may include a scale plate 110 included in, and operatively coupledto a high-accuracy scale mechanism disposed within the housing 102. Thesecond portion 108 may further include a leveling device 111. Theleveling device 111 may include a volume partially filled with a liquidand an air bubble. The leveling device 111 may be configured such thatwhen the housing 102 is level on a surface, the air bubble comes to restat the center of a window of the leveling device, as viewed by the user.The leveling legs 128 may be used to adjust the height of one or moreportions of the housing 102 to place the scale in a level space, thusincreasing the accuracy of the scale. While a bubble level is describedherein, one of skill in the art will recognize that other levelingfunctions may be implemented, including a laser level, without deviatingfrom the scope of the disclosure. The second portion 108 internally mayinclude, scale circuitry and mechanics in connection with the scaleplate 110 to provide a highly accurate weight of a volume of dispensedpowder, as described herein. The scale circuitry and mechanics arefurther electronically coupled to the user interface 116 to receive andtransmit operational settings and information, described herein.

A third portion 106 of the housing 102 may include the hopper 104 andthe cover 105 sized and shaped to retain a volume of powder wheninserted in to a reservoir 107 defined by the housing 102. The hopper104 may be a transparent material, such as a plastic, or otherpolymer-based substance that allows a user to view the current volume ofpowder resident in the hopper 104 and reservoir 107. The hopper 104 maybe sized and shaped to be just smaller than an internal circumference orperimeter of the reservoir such that the hopper 104 rests inside of thereservoir 107 via a friction fit, for easy removal and replacement. FIG.2 depicts a device 100 with the hopper removed, according to one aspectof the disclosure. Alternatively, the hopper may be affixed to thehousing in any number of known methods, including, screws, clamps, orthe like. The cover 105 may be sized and shaped to provide a sealing,friction fit with the hopper 104 in order to minimize the amount of airflow into and out of the hopper. The cover may also be coupled to thehopper by other mechanisms known in the art.

The third portion 106 of the housing 102 may further include adual-barrel arrangement 113 configured to dispense powder from thereservoir 107 and hopper 104 to a receptacle or tray disposed on thescale plate 110. FIG. 7 depicts an expanded view of the external portionof the dual-barrel arrangement 113. The dual-barrel arrangement 113 mayinclude a first barrel 112 and a second barrel 114, each of which are influid communication with the reservoir 107 and extend out of the housing102 above the second portion 108 and above the scale plate 110. Thefirst barrel 112 and the second barrel 114 may be disposed at a downwardangle from the reservoir toward the scale plate. The first barrel 112may include a threaded interior surface 117 and be larger in diameter.First barrel 112 may be configured for a fast, larger volume dispensingoperation. The second barrel 114 may include a substantially smoothinterior surface 119 and may be smaller in diameter. The second barrel114 may be configured for a finer, slower and more accurate dispensingoperation.

The electronics and mechanics of the device 100 may be coupled to apower source by a power supply line 130, as depicted in FIG. 3 . Thepower supply line 130 may be configured to receive power from a sourceincluding an alternating current (AC) source, a direct current (DC)source, or the like. When the power supply line 130 is connected to apower source, the operation of the device 100 may be initiated byactivating the power button 118.

The third portion 106 of the housing 102 may further include a drainassembly 132 to provide a drain path for the emptying of the hopper 104and reservoir 107. FIGS. 4A-4B depict the underside of the housing 102in which the drain assembly 132 may be disposed. According to oneaspect, the drain assembly 132 may include a drain hole 133 defined in adrain disk 134. The drain disk 134 may further include or define one ormore rotational guides 137. The rotational guides 137 may be aperturesor recesses in the drain disk 134 that are configured to guide therotation of the drain disk 134 about one or more fixed posts 135. Thefixed posts 135 may be, according to one aspect, screws, nails, pegs, orthe like. The drain disk 134 may also include one or more flanges 139extending from drain disk. A fixed plate 141 may be disposed inside thehousing 102 adjacent the drain disk 134, through which the fixed posts135 may extend. According to one aspect, the fixed plate 141 and thedrain disk 134 may be secured to the housing 102 by fixed posts 135, inthe form of one or more screws.

In operation, according to one aspect of the disclosure, the reservoir107 may be drained using the drain assembly 132. The housing 102 may bemoved or placed such that the third portion 106 overhangs the edge ofthe surface on which the device 100 rests to expose the underside of thehousing 102 and the drain assembly 132. The drain assembly as depictedin FIG. 4A shows the drain assembly 132 in a closed position. The drainhole 133 is blocked by the fixed plate 141, thus preventing the flow ofpowder from the reservoir 107. To drain the reservoir 107, the user mayrotate the drain disk 134 by grasping and rotating the one or moreflanges 139 in a clockwise direction. As the rotational guides 137 ofthe drain disk 134 rotate about the fixed posts 135, the drain hole 133may rotate past the fixed plate 141 to establish an open path to thereservoir 107, shown in FIG. 4B. With an open path established, thepowder in the reservoir 107 may flow from the device 100 and into areceptacle placed or held below the drain assembly 132. As shown in FIG.5 , a reservoir drain 142 may be defined within the reservoir 107, atthe reservoir's lowest point, to establish the fluid path to the drainassembly 132. To close the drain assembly 132, the user may rotate thedrain disk 134 in a counter clockwise direction such that the drain hole133 is blocked by the fixed plate 141.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, the drain assembly mayinclude a sensor coupled to the processor, as described herein, andconfigured to transmit the position or state of the drain assembly. Forexample, upon rotation of the drain disk 134, the sensor may betriggered to indicate an open state that may in turn be reported orotherwise indicated on the user interface. An audible signal may also begenerated to indicate an open drain condition. When the drain disk isrotated back to a close position, the sensor may transmit a signal tothe processor and user interface indicating the closed state of thedrain.

FIG. 6 depicts an expanded view of the reservoir 107 and dual-barrelarrangement 113. The reservoir 107 of the housing 102 may define afunnel area 136 into which powder retained in the reservoir 107 andhopper may flow. The dual-barrel arrangement 113 may include the firstbarrel 112 having an internal portion 121 extending into the funnel area136 of the reservoir 107. The internal portion 121 of the first barrel112 may include or define one or more apertures 138 through which powdermay flow. The second barrel 114 may include an internal portion 115 mayinclude or define one or more apertures 140 through which powder mayflow.

FIG. 8 depicts an expanded view of the user-interface 116 according toone aspect of the disclosure. The display 122 may include a read-outarea 123, and a “Units” button 125 to set or switch units (for examplefrom g to gr, gr to g, of the like). A calibration button 127 may beincluded to allow the user to calibrate and re-calibrate the scale anddevice. Entering calibration mode may include placing an object of knownweight on the scale plate 110 and adjust the scale via the userinterface 116 to match the known weight. The user interface 116 mayfurther include a keypad 124 and one or more function buttons 126. Thepower button 118 and the “Go” button 129 may be hard-coded and raisedbuttons while the keypad 124, function buttons 126 the unit button 125and the calibration button 127 may be integrated into the display 122 astouch-sensitive pads. Alternative configurations, however, may beimplemented including varying combinations of hard-coded andtouch-sensitive buttons.

FIG. 9 depicts a powder receptacle 150 according to one aspect of thedisclosure. The powder receptacle 150 may be formed from a lightweightmetal, or other material and include a handle portion 152 and one ormore spout portions 154. The handle portion 152 may include a raisedpattern or grip to facilitate handling of the receptacle and the powderdispensed into it. The spout portions 154 may be size and shaped tofacilitate the flow of powder out of the receptacle 150 and into acasing with minimal or no spillage. The receptacle 150 as describedherein is exemplary and the shape and material of the receptacle mayvary without deviating from the scope of the disclosure.

In operation, the device 100 may dispense a highly-accurate weight ofpowder through the dual-barrel arrangement 113. The hopper 104 andreservoir 107 may be filled with the desired powder and the cover 105place to seal the reservoir 107 from outside contamination. With thereservoir filled, the user may power-on the device using the powerbutton 118 on the user interface 116. A user may opt to zero the scalebefore beginning a dispensing operation. Zeroing the scale may includeplacing the receptacle on the scale plate 110 and pressing a “Zero”button, among the function buttons 126. The scale will be set to a zeroweight, accounting for the weight of the receptacle, such that theweight registered by the scale represents the weight of the powderalone, and not the powder and receptacle together.

Further using the user interface 116, the user may input the desiredmode, and other settings, as described herein, and press the “Go” button120. The device, based on the input parameters will begin to dispensethe powder from the reservoir 107 through the dual-barrel arrangement113. One or more motors may be disposed within the housing and coupledto the first barrel 112 and the second barrel 114. The motors may driverotation of the barrels such that powder from the reservoir 107 may flowinto the internal portion 121 of the first barrel 112 through theapertures 138 and the internal portion 115 of the second barrel 114through the apertures 140. The rotation of the barrels may create a flowof powder from the reservoir, through the barrels and into thereceptacle resting on the scale plate. The speed at which the barrelsrotate may dictate the rate at which the powder flows from the reservoirinto the barrels and out to the receptacle. The first barrel 112, forexample, may be larger in internal diameter than the second barrel 114and have larger apertures 138 to receive the powder. The first barrel112 may be used for dispensing a bulk amount of the total weight due toits increased capacity and rotational speed. The second barrel 114,having a smaller internal diameter and smaller apertures 140, may beused to dispense a smaller amount of powder to complement the weightdispensed from the first barrel 112, bringing the total weight of thedispensed powder to the desired weight.

For example, the device may be calibrated to dispense and weigh powderto an accuracy of 0.0001 gram. If the user desired to dispense 2 gramsof powder to fill a casing, the user may input such a limit or settinginto the interface, or select a pre-defined mode, prior to initiating adispensing operation. The device 100 may begin to dispense the powderthrough the first barrel 112, as rotated by the motor. As the powder isdispensed into a receptacle deposited on the scale plate 110, the scalemay continuously monitor the weight of the dispensed powder until itapproaches 2 grams. As the weight approaches its final amount, within acertain percentage, for example, the second barrel 114 may begin torotate and dispense the powder at a more deliberate and accurate rate.The use of the fine motor dispensing with the second barrel 114 allowsthe device to dispense the final amount of powder bringing the totalweight to 2 grams, within 0.001 grams.

According to one aspect the two barrels may dispense powdersimultaneously until the target weight is approached. At such a time,the device may stop the rotation of the first barrel 112 and rely solelyon the second barrel 114 to finish dispensing. Alternatively, thebarrels may operate in sequence where the first barrel 112 is reliedupon for dispensing until the target weight is approached, at which timethe first barrel 112 stops and the second barrel 114 begins to rotateand dispense the final amount.

According to one aspect, the user interface may be used to pre-programthe device for a dispensing operation. A pre-set weight may be entered,via the user interface, and upon the user pressing the “Go” button 120,the device will control the dual-barrel arrangement 113 to dispense thepre-set weight. Alternatively, the user may manually control thedispensing of powder using the function buttons to switch between thefirst barrel 112 and the second barrel 114 as the displayed weightapproaches the target weight.

According to one aspect, the device 100 may be configured to dispensemanually powder charge-by-charge. A user may configure the device for amanual dispensing operation and set a charge weight through the userinterface. Activating the “Go” button 120 may then dispense the powderuntil the target weight is sensed by the scale. Alternatively, accordingto one aspect, an automatic mode may be implemented in which the devicewill automatically dispense a pre-set charge upon sensing an emptypowder receptacle 150. In such a mode, the user enter the charge weightinto the user interface 116 and press the “Go” button 120. When thepowder receptacle 150 is placed on the scale plate 110, and the device100 determines the powder receptacle 150 is empty, the device 100 willautomatically dispense the appropriate charge. The automatic mode mayallow a user to fill rapidly a number of charges by placing an emptypowder receptacle 150 on the scale plate 110 without having to repeatthe manual programming steps.

According to one aspect, the device may be configured to operate indiffering units, including grams (g), grains (gr), and other known unitsof measure. The user interface 116 may include a “Units” function button125 or other button to set or switch the units weighed and shown to theuser. The device may also be configured to operate in a number of modes,including a standard mode in which the device and scale is configured toprovide a 0.1 gr (0.01 g) accuracy for a charge of 3 to 1000 gr. Asecond mode may include a match mode in which different grain weightranges feature different accuracy tolerances. For example, a firstinterval match mode may be defined for dispensing 3-300 gr. The accuracyfor such a dispensing operation may be 0.04 gr (0.004 g). A secondinterval between 300 and 1000 gr may have an accuracy of 0.1 gr. In amatch mode, a higher degree of accuracy may be obtained (i.e., a 42.5 grtarget may now be measured to 42.53). One of skill in the art willrecognize that the level of accuracy and dispensing ranges, according toone aspect, may be scaled or otherwise adapted based on the mechanicsand electronics of the device, without deviating from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

The device may include a number of powder configuration settings toachieve further accuracy and speed in dispensing operations. Accordingto one aspect of the disclosure, the device 100 may be pre-programmedwith a number of powder configurations. Additionally, the device 100 mayallow for a number of user-programmable settings that may be entered,saved and recalled by the user through the user interface, describedherein.

The device 100 may include a computing system 1000, as depicted in FIG.10 , to receive inputs and drive the operation of the device 100. Ingeneral, the computing system 1000 may include a computing device 1010,such as a special-purpose computer designed and implemented fordirecting and controlling the operation and provision of powder. Thecomputing device 1010 may be or include data sources, client devices,and so forth. For example, the computing device 1010 may include amicroprocessor installed and disposed within a device. In certainaspects, the computing device 1010 may be implemented using hardware ora combination of software and hardware.

The computing device 1010 may communicate across a network 1002. Thenetwork 1002 may include any data network(s) or internetwork(s) suitablefor communicating data and control information among participants in thecomputing system 1000. This may include public networks such as theInternet, private networks, and telecommunications networks such as thePublic Switched Telephone Network or cellular networks using cellulartechnology and/or other technologies, as well as any of a variety otherlocal area networks or enterprise networks, along with any switches,routers, hubs, gateways, and the like that might be used to carry dataamong participants in the computing system 1000. The network 1002 mayalso include a combination of data networks and need not be limited to astrictly public or private network.

The computing device 1010 may communicate with an external device 1004.The external device 1004 may be any computer or other remote resourcethat connects to the computing device 1010 through the network 1002.

In general, the computing device 1010 may include a processor 1012, amemory 1014, a network interface 1016, a data store 1018, and one ormore input/output interfaces 1020. The computing device 1010 may furtherinclude or be in communication with peripherals 1022 and other externalinput/output devices that might connect to the input/output interfaces1020.

The processor 1012 may be any processor or other processing circuitrycapable of processing instructions for execution within the computingdevice 1010 or computing system 1000. The processor 1012 may include asingle-threaded processor, a multi-threaded processor, a multi-coreprocessor and so forth. The processor 1012 may be capable of processinginstructions stored in the memory 1014 or the data store 1018.

The memory 1014 may store information within the computing device 1010.The memory 1014 may include any volatile or non-volatile memory or othercomputer-readable medium, including without limitation a Random-AccessMemory (RAM), a flash memory, a Read Only Memory (ROM), a ProgrammableRead-only Memory (PROM), an Erasable PROM (EPROM), registers, and soforth. The memory 1014 may store program instructions, program data,executables, and other software and data useful for controllingoperation of the computing device 1010 and configuring the computingdevice 1010 to perform functions for a user. The memory 1014 may includea number of different stages and types of memory for different aspectsof operation of the computing device 1010. For example, a processor mayinclude on-board memory and/or cache for faster access to certain dataor instructions, and a separate, main memory or the like may be includedto expand memory capacity as desired. All such memory types may be apart of the memory 1014 as contemplated herein.

The memory 1014 may, in general, include a non-volatile computerreadable medium containing computer code that, when executed by thecomputing device 1010 creates an execution environment for a computerprogram in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, aprotocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or acombination of the foregoing, and that performs some or all of the stepsset forth in the various flow charts and other algorithmic descriptionsset forth herein. While a single memory 1014 is depicted, it will beunderstood that any number of memories may be usefully incorporated intothe computing device 1010.

The network interface 1016 may include any hardware and/or software forconnecting the computing device 1010 in a communicating relationshipwith other resources through the network 1002. This may include remoteresources accessible through the Internet, as well as local resourcesavailable using short range communications protocols using, e.g.,physical connections (e.g., Ethernet), radio frequency communications(e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), optical communications, (e.g., fiber optics,infrared, or the like), ultrasonic communications, or any combination ofthese or other media that might be used to carry data between thecomputing device 1010 and other devices. The network interface 1016 may,for example, include a router, a modem, a network card, an infraredtransceiver, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, a near fieldcommunications interface, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagreader, or any other data reading or writing resource or the like.

The network interface 1016 may include any combination of hardware andsoftware suitable for coupling the components of the computing device1010 to other computing or communications resources. By way of exampleand not limitation, this may include electronics for a wired or wirelessEthernet connection operating according to the IEEE 802.11 standard (orany variation thereof), or any other short or long range wirelessnetworking components or the like. This may include hardware for shortrange data communications such as Bluetooth or an infrared transceiver,which may be used to couple to other local devices, or to connect to alocal area network or the like that is in turn coupled to a data network1002 such as the Internet. This may also include hardware/software for aWiMax connection or a cellular network connection (using, e.g., CDMA,GSM, LTE, or any other suitable protocol or combination of protocols).The network interface 1016 may be included as part of the input/outputdevices 820 or vice-versa.

The data store 1018 may be any internal memory store providing acomputer-readable medium such as a disk drive, an optical drive, amagnetic drive, a flash drive, or other device capable of providing massstorage for the computing device 1010. The data store 1018 may storecomputer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, andother data for the computing device 1010 or computing system 1000 in anon-volatile form for relatively long-term, persistent storage andsubsequent retrieval and use. For example, the data store 818 may storean operating system, application programs, program data, databases,files, and other program modules or other software objects and the like.

The input/output interface 1020 may support input from and output toother devices that might couple to the computing device 1010. This may,for example, include the user interface, serial ports (e.g., RS-232ports), universal serial bus (USB) ports, optical ports, Ethernet ports,telephone ports, audio jacks, component audio/video inputs, HDMI ports,and so forth, any of which might be used to form wired connections toother local devices. This may also include an infrared interface, RFinterface, magnetic card reader, or other input/output system forwirelessly coupling in a communicating relationship with other localdevices. It will be understood that, while the network interface 1016for network communications is described separately from the input/outputinterface 1020 for local device communications, these two interfaces maybe the same, or may share functionality, such as where a USB port isused to attach to a Wi-Fi accessory, or where an Ethernet connection isused to couple to a local network attached storage.

The computing device may include or communicate with motors 1028 todrive the physical operation of the dual-barrel assembly. The motors1028 may be driven by the processor 1012 according to parameters andinputs from the user, user interface and input/output 1020. The motorsmay also operate in conjunction with the scale 1024, which may be drivenby the processor to measure and record weight measurements from thescale plate 110 during a dispensing operation. The scale 1024 mayinclude an electromagnetic type or load cell type scale.

A peripheral 1022 may include any device used to provide information toor receive information from the computing device 1010. This may includehuman input/output (I/O) devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a mousepad, a track ball, a joystick, a microphone, a foot pedal, a camera, atouch screen, a scanner, mobile device or other device that might beemployed by the user 1030 to provide input to the computing device 1010via the user interface. This may also or instead include a display, aprinter, a projector, a headset or any other audiovisual device forpresenting information to a user. The peripheral 1022 may also orinstead include a digital signal processing device, an actuator, orother device to support control of or communication with other devicesor components. In one aspect, the peripheral 1022 may serve as thenetwork interface 1016, such as with a USB device configured to providecommunications via short range (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Infrared, RF, orthe like) or long range (e.g., cellular data or WiMax) communicationsprotocols. In another aspect, the peripheral 1022 may augment operationof the computing device 1010 with additional functions or features, suchas a global positioning system (GPS) device, or other device. In anotheraspect, the peripheral 1022 may include a storage device such as a flashcard, USB drive, or other solid-state device, or an optical drive, amagnetic drive, a disk drive, or other device or combination of devicessuitable for bulk storage. More generally, any device or combination ofdevices suitable for use with the computing system 1000 may be used as aperipheral 1022 as contemplated herein.

Other hardware 1026 may be incorporated into the computing system 1000such as a co-processor, a digital signal processing system, a mathco-processor, a graphics engine, a video driver, a camera, a microphone,speakers, and so forth. The other hardware 1026 may also or insteadinclude expanded input/output ports, extra memory, additional drives,and so forth.

A bus 1032 or combination of busses may serve as an electromechanicalbackbone for interconnecting components of the computing device 1010such as the processor 1012, memory 1014, network interface 1016, otherhardware 1026, data store 1018 input/output interface 1020, and motors1028. As shown in the figure, each of the components of the computingdevice 1010 may be interconnected using a system bus 1032 in acommunicating relationship for sharing controls, commands, data, power,and so forth.

Based on the teachings, one skilled in the art should appreciate thatthe scope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any aspect ofthe present disclosure, whether implemented independently of or combinedwith any other aspect of the present disclosure. For example, anapparatus may be implemented or a method may be practiced using anynumber of the aspects set forth. In addition, the scope of the presentdisclosure is intended to cover such an apparatus or method practicedusing other structure, functionality, or structure and functionality inaddition to, or other than the various aspects of the present disclosureset forth. It should be understood that any aspect of the presentdisclosure may be embodied by one or more elements of a claim.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary”is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous overother aspects.

Although particular aspects are described herein, many variations andpermutations of these aspects fall within the scope of the presentdisclosure. Although some benefits and advantages of the preferredaspects are mentioned, the scope of the present disclosure is notintended to be limited to particular benefits, uses or objectives.Rather, aspects of the present disclosure are intended to be broadlyapplicable to different technologies, system configurations, networksand protocols, some of which are illustrated by way of example in thefigures and in the following description of the preferred aspects. Thedetailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the presentdisclosure rather than limiting, the scope of the present disclosurebeing defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

As used herein, the term “determining” encompasses a wide variety ofactions. For example, “determining” may include calculating, computing,processing, deriving, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in atable, a database or another data structure), ascertaining and the like.Additionally, “determining” may include receiving (e.g., receivinginformation), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory) and the like.Furthermore, “determining” may include resolving, selecting, choosing,establishing, and the like.

As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of itemsrefers to any combination of those items, including single members. Asan example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a, b, c,a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules and circuits describedin connection with the present disclosure may be implemented orperformed with a processor specially configured to perform the functionsdiscussed in the present disclosure. The processor may be a neuralnetwork processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate arraysignal (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate ortransistor logic, discrete hardware components or any combinationthereof designed to perform the functions described herein.Alternatively, the processing system may comprise one or moreneuromorphic processors for implementing the neuron models and models ofneural systems described herein. The processor may be a microprocessor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine specially configured asdescribed herein. A processor may also be implemented as a combinationof computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor,a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors inconjunction with a DSP core, or such other special configuration, asdescribed herein.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with thepresent disclosure may be embodied directly in hardware, in a softwaremodule executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. Asoftware module may reside in storage or machine readable medium,including random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flashmemory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, a hard disk,a removable disk, a CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that canbe used to carry or store desired program code in the form ofinstructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.A software module may comprise a single instruction, or manyinstructions, and may be distributed over several different codesegments, among different programs, and across multiple storage media. Astorage medium may be coupled to a processor such that the processor canread information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Inthe alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor.

The methods disclosed herein comprise one or more steps or actions forachieving the described method. The method steps and/or actions may beinterchanged with one another without departing from the scope of theclaims. In other words, unless a specific order of steps or actions isspecified, the order and/or use of specific steps and/or actions may bemodified without departing from the scope of the claims.

The functions described may be implemented in hardware, software,firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in hardware, anexample hardware configuration may comprise a processing system in adevice. The processing system may be implemented with a busarchitecture. The bus may include any number of interconnecting busesand bridges depending on the specific application of the processingsystem and the overall design constraints. The bus may link togethervarious circuits including a processor, machine-readable media, and abus interface. The bus interface may be used to connect a networkadapter, among other things, to the processing system via the bus. Thenetwork adapter may be used to implement signal processing functions.For certain aspects, a user interface (e.g., keypad, display, mouse,joystick, etc.) may also be connected to the bus. The bus may also linkvarious other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltageregulators, power management circuits, and the like, which are wellknown in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further.

The processor may be responsible for managing the bus and processing,including the execution of software stored on the machine-readablemedia. Software shall be construed to mean instructions, data, or anycombination thereof, whether referred to as software, firmware,middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

In a hardware implementation, the machine-readable media may be part ofthe processing system separate from the processor. However, as thoseskilled in the art will readily appreciate, the machine-readable media,or any portion thereof, may be external to the processing system. By wayof example, the machine-readable media may include a transmission line,a carrier wave modulated by data, and/or a computer product separatefrom the device, all which may be accessed by the processor through thebus interface. Alternatively, or in addition, the machine-readablemedia, or any portion thereof, may be integrated into the processor,such as the case may be with cache and/or specialized register files.Although the various components discussed may be described as having aspecific location, such as a local component, they may also beconfigured in various ways, such as certain components being configuredas part of a distributed computing system.

The machine-readable media may comprise a number of software modules.The software modules may include a transmission module and a receivingmodule. Each software module may reside in a single storage device or bedistributed across multiple storage devices. By way of example, asoftware module may be loaded into RAM from a hard drive when atriggering event occurs. During execution of the software module, theprocessor may load some of the instructions into cache to increaseaccess speed. One or more cache lines may then be loaded into a specialpurpose register file for execution by the processor. When referring tothe functionality of a software module below, it will be understood thatsuch functionality is implemented by the processor when executinginstructions from that software module. Furthermore, it should beappreciated that aspects of the present disclosure result inimprovements to the functioning of the processor, computer, machine, orother system implementing such aspects.

If implemented in software, the functions may be stored or transmittedover as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium.Computer-readable media include both computer storage media andcommunication media including any storage medium that facilitatestransfer of a computer program from one place to another.

Further, it should be appreciated that modules and/or other appropriatemeans for performing the methods and techniques described herein can bedownloaded and/or otherwise obtained by a user terminal and/or basestation as applicable. For example, such a device can be coupled to aserver to facilitate the transfer of means for performing the methodsdescribed herein. Alternatively, various methods described herein can beprovided via storage means, such that a user terminal and/or basestation can obtain the various methods upon coupling or providing thestorage means to the device. Moreover, any other suitable technique forproviding the methods and techniques described herein to a device can beutilized.

It is to be understood that the claims are not limited to the preciseconfiguration and components illustrated above. Various modifications,changes, and variations may be made in the arrangement, operation, anddetails of the methods and apparatus described above without departingfrom the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A powder dispensing device comprising: a housing;a hopper defining a reservoir therein; a first barrel in fluidcommunication with the reservoir; at least one motor coupled to thefirst barrel, the at least one motor configured to rotate the firstbarrel to dispense powder from the reservoir; a drain assemblycomprising a rotatable drain member coupled to the housing and defininga drain hole, the drain member rotatable between a first positionwherein the drain hole is blocked from the reservoir and a secondposition wherein the drain hole is in communication with the reservoir;a scale electrically coupled to a scale plate, the scale plate disposedbelow the first barrel; and a user interface in electrical communicationwith the at least one motor and the scale, the user interface configuredto receive a user-input.
 2. The powder dispensing device of claim 1,further comprising a fixed plate disposed between the reservoir and thedrain member, the fixed plate blocking the drain hole when the drainmember is rotated to the first position, the drain hole in fluidcommunication with the reservoir when the drain disk is rotated to thesecond position.
 3. The powder dispensing device of claim 1, furthercomprising a sensor transmitting a signal representative of a positionof the drain member.
 4. The powder dispensing device of claim 3, whereinthe signal representative of the position of the drain member is anaudible signal.
 5. The powder dispensing device of claim 1 wherein theuser input comprises a target weight, the at least one motor rotatingthe first barrel until the target weight is measured by the scale. 6.The powder dispensing device of claim 1 wherein the first barrel isdisposed at a downward angle from the reservoir toward the scale plate.7. A powder dispensing device comprising: a housing; a hopper defining areservoir therein; a first barrel in fluid communication with thereservoir; a second barrel in fluid communication with the reservoir; atleast one motor coupled to the first barrel, the at least one motorconfigured to rotate the first barrel to dispense powder from thereservoir; a drain assembly comprising a rotatable drain member coupledto the housing and defining a drain hole, the drain member rotatablebetween a first position wherein the drain hole is blocked from thereservoir and a second position wherein the drain hole is incommunication with the reservoir; a scale electrically coupled to ascale plate, the scale plate disposed below the first barrel; and a userinterface in electrical communication with the at least one motor andthe scale, the user interface configured to receive a user-input.
 8. Thepowder dispensing device of claim 7, further comprising a fixed platedisposed between the reservoir and the drain member, the fixed plateblocking the drain hole when the drain member is rotated to the firstposition, the drain hole in fluid communication with the reservoir whenthe drain disk is rotated to the second position.
 9. The powderdispensing device of claim 7, further comprising a sensor transmitting asignal representative of a position of the drain member.
 10. The powderdispensing device of claim 9, wherein the signal representative of theposition of the drain member is an audible signal.
 11. The powderdispensing device of claim 7 wherein the user input comprises a targetweight, the at least one motor rotating the first barrel until thetarget weight is measured by the scale.
 12. The powder dispensing deviceof claim 7 wherein the first barrel and the second barrel are disposedat a downward angle from the reservoir toward the scale plate.
 13. Thepowder dispenser device of claim 7, further comprising a second motorconfigured to move the second barrel
 14. The powder dispensing device ofclaim 13, wherein the user input comprises a target weight, wherein theat least one motor moves the first barrel until a first portion of thetarget weight is measured by the scale and the second motor moves thesecond barrel until a second portion of the target weight is measured bythe scale.
 15. A powder dispensing device comprising: a housing; ahopper defining a reservoir therein; a first barrel in fluidcommunication with the reservoir; a second barrel in fluid communicationwith the reservoir; a first motor coupled to the first barrel, the atleast one motor configured to move the first barrel to dispense powderfrom the reservoir; a second motor coupled to the first barrel, the atleast one motor configured to move the second barrel to dispense powderfrom the reservoir; a drain assembly comprising a rotatable drain membercoupled to the housing and defining a drain hole, the drain memberrotatable between a first position wherein the drain hole is blockedfrom the reservoir and a second position wherein the drain hole is incommunication with the reservoir; a scale electrically coupled to ascale plate, the scale plate disposed below the first barrel; and a userinterface in electrical communication with the at least one motor andthe scale, the user interface configured to receive a user-input. 16.The powder dispensing device of claim 15 further comprising a fixedplate disposed between the reservoir and the drain member, the fixedplate blocking the drain hole when the drain member is rotated to thefirst position, the drain hole in fluid communication with the reservoirwhen the drain disk is rotated to the second position.
 17. The powderdispensing device of claim 15, further comprising a sensor transmittinga signal representative of a position of the drain member.
 18. Thepowder dispensing device of claim 15 wherein the signal representativeof the position of the drain member is an audible signal.
 19. The powderdispensing device of claim 15 wherein the user input comprises a targetweight, the at least one motor rotating the first barrel until thetarget weight is measured by the scale.
 20. The powder dispensing deviceof claim 15 wherein the first barrel and the second barrel are disposedat a downward angle from the reservoir toward the scale plate.